Musa Sani Nuhu

Musa Sani Nuhu (born 26 November 1969) is a Nigerian career diplomat and ambassador who served as Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from 2020 to 2025. He is the only West African diplomat to have chaired both the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) and the Administration and Finance Committee (AFC): the two principal technical organs covering all aspects of the ECOWAS system.^[1]

Nuhu is known for his role in ECOWAS institutional reform, coordinating engagements between ECOWAS and the African Union during the period of political realignment in West Africa (2020–2024), and for multilateral institutional processes within ECOWAS during the Sahel political crisis.^[2]

Musa Sani Nuhu was born on 26 November 1969 in Saulawa, Katsina, in what was then Kaduna State, Nigeria. He had his early education at Army Children School, Zaria, and also underwent Qur'anic instruction at home during his formative years. He attended Kayalwa Primary School in Katsina from 1975 to 1981, where he completed his primary education. He enrolled for his secondary education at Government Secondary School, Dutsin-Ma, between 1981 and 1986, earning the General Certificate of Education (GCE). He later attended the College of Advanced Studies (CAS), Zaria, from 1986 to 1987 for remedial studies.^[1]

In 1988, Nuhu enrolled at the Bayero University, Kano, beginning with the School of General Studies before proceeding to study history. He graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts (Special Honours) degree in History. Following his undergraduate studies, he served in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme as a teacher at Government College, Kaduna (1992–1993). In 1995, he again returned to school, enrolling for postgraduate studies at the University of Jos and earning a Master of Arts degree in Law and Diplomacy in 1998.^[1]

Nuhu also undertook professional training in diplomacy, negotiation, and mediation at the Nigerian Foreign Service Academy in Badagry, the United Nations University for Peace, China Foreign Affairs University, and the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael.^[1]

Before joining the civil service as a diplomat, Nuhu worked in the private sector between 1993 and 2001, rising to the position of Procurement and Promotion Manager of Earth Bounties International (EBI) where he was responsible for promoting sales of Nigeria's solid minerals in the international market.^[3]

Nuhu began his diplomatic career within the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001, serving in multiple divisions, including the Inter-African Affairs Division and the Asia and Pacific Division. He also served in the Office of the Under-Secretary for African Affairs and had two postings with the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC): an agency that deploys Nigerian professionals to other African, Caribbean and Pacific states as part of Nigeria's foreign policy engagement. He also served as First Secretary at the Embassy of Nigeria in Jakarta, Indonesia and as Senior/Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Nigeria in Algiers, Algeria, and later as Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim.^[4]

Between 2015 and 2017, Nuhu served as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the Embassy of Nigeria in Algiers, Algeria. In this capacity, he headed the Nigerian diplomatic mission and supervised bilateral and multilateral engagements between Nigeria and Algeria, particularly facilitating cooperation under bilateral frameworks such as the Nigeria–Algeria Bilateral National Commission (BNC). During this period, he also participated in diplomatic consultations on regional peace and security issues affecting North and West Africa, including counter-terrorism cooperation in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin. The mission’s work was connected to broader continental security initiatives and multilateral dialogue frameworks, including discussions associated with the Oran Process on African peace and security cooperation.^[3][5]

Before his ambassadorial appointment, Nuhu served as Head of the ECOWAS National Unit within Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While in that role, he coordinated Nigeria's engagement with ECOWAS programmes and activities. He was also chair of the ECOWAS Administration and Finance Committee (AFC).^[6] During this period, he was involved in processes relating to the implementation of regional counter-terrorism frameworks adopted following the 2019 ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit on Terrorism in Ouagadougou.

Nuhu's tenure as Nigeria's Permanent Representative to ECOWAS overlapped with significant regional developments, including the political transitions in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).^[3]

Nuhu initiated internal reforms within the Nigerian Permanent Mission to expand its multilateral engagement capacity. These included the establishment of thematic clusters corresponding to ECOWAS Commission directorates, covering peace and security, trade and customs, infrastructure and social affairs, and administration and finance. As chair of the Permanent Representatives Committee, he pushed for reforms to strengthen the advisory and oversight role of the PRC within ECOWAS institutional processes, as well as a reduction in the number of commissioners as part of restructuring efforts.^[7][3]

Between 2021 and 2024, ECOWAS was faced with military takeovers in the Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger) ushering the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).^[3] As chair of the Mediation and Security Council at the ambassadorial level, Nuhu facilitated consensus among member states during deliberations and recommendations concerning suspension measures, sanctions, and transitional frameworks.^[5][8][9]

In April 2024, Nuhu co-chaired the inaugural joint consultation between the African Union Peace and Security Council and the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council.^[3] The mechanism was described as an effort to enhance coordination between continental and regional security architectures. He advocated for closer coordination between the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in addressing regional conflicts.^[10][4][9]

In 2020, Nuhu coordinated aspects of regional engagement related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included facilitating the delivery of food aid from ECOWAS emergency reserves to Nigeria. He also led the activation of the ECOWAS Early Warning System (ECOWARN) to monitor health-related and social stability indicators; and was also involved in ECOWAS electoral assessment processes conducted during the pandemic period.^[7]

In December 2024, under Nuhu's leadership, Nigeria cleared its ECOWAS community levy backlog, "amounting to ₦84 billion and $54 million covering the entirety of 2023 and extending to July 2024". This marked the first time in 19 years Nigeria has paid 100% of its obligations to the organization. Over the years, Nigeria had struggled to meet its financial obligations.^[11] Nuhu also undertook the procurement of a new chancery building for Nigeria's Permanent Mission to ECOWAS which was inaugurated in Asokoro, Abuja. He described the Mission as a strategic platform for articulating and advancing Nigeria's positions within ECOWAS institutions. The Nigerian Mission to ECOWAS, which was originally conceived as a "smart mission" with limited staffing, was repositioned under his administration into a fully structured multilateral mission. The restructuring introduced a thematic cluster system to monitor ECOWAS activities more closely and strengthen coordination with relevant Nigerian ministries, departments, and agencies on regional policy matters.^[12]

During his tenure as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Nuhu participated in a range of programme coordination and institutional oversight activities within the Community’s governance structures. These included contributions to strategic planning processes for ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the Regional Resilience Strategy (2024–2050), as well as involvement in monitoring and evaluation reforms to strengthen results-based management and programme reporting across ECOWAS institutions.^[3][5]

He also supported coordination between the ECOWAS Commission and specialised agencies, including the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC), particularly in the implementation of regional health and social programmes. These initiatives included interventions addressing public health challenges and the provision of medical assistance programmes within member states.^[3][5]

In the areas of governance and preventive diplomacy, Nuhu engaged with the ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate (ECOWARN), contributing to discussions on electoral risk monitoring, governance assessments, and regional security trends. He also participated in processes linked to ECOWAS election observation missions and post-election mediation efforts in member states.^[3][5]

His tenure also included involvement in initiatives connected to regional economic integration. These included advocacy for the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and engagement with mechanisms addressing cross-border trade barriers. In this context, discussions were held on reducing illegal checkpoints along the Seme–Badagry corridor, a key trade route between Nigeria and neighbouring states.^[3][5]

In 2024, Nuhu convened a high-level retreat in Lagos that examined the institutional implications of the announced withdrawal of certain member states from ECOWAS. The retreat brought together regional officials and policymakers to review options for maintaining institutional cohesion and addressing evolving political developments within the Community.^[3][5]

• Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to ECOWAS (2020–2025)
• Chair, ECOWAS Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) (2023–2025)
• Chair, ECOWAS Administration and Finance Committee (AFC) (2018–2019)
• Chair, ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at ambassadorial level
• Co-Chair, AU–ECOWAS Joint Consultative Mechanism (between the ECOWAS MSC and the African Union Peace and Security Council)
• Head, ECOWAS National Unit (Nigeria)
• Pioneer Chair, West African Health Organization (WAHO) Steering Committee
• Member, Steering Committee, ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU)
• Chair, ECOWAS Committee for the Evaluation and Selection of the New ECOWAS Headquarters Design
• Chair, ECOWAS Technical Committee for the Evaluation and Selection of the New ECOWAS Headquarters Design
• Participant in GIABA ministerial and technical processes
• Contributor to the coordination of the Regional Action Plan to Eradicate Terrorism (2020–2024)^[1][3]

At the conclusion of his tenure in November 2025, Nuhu received tributes from ECOWAS officials and diplomatic colleagues as well as from the ECOWAS Parliament, who cited his role in institutional reform and regional coordination during a period of political and security challenges.^[13] He was also conferred with the Grand Legacy Laureate of Public Service (GLLPS) by the Institute for Historical Studies, Biographical Research, Documentation, and Legacy (IHS-BiRD & L).^[5] Analysts have noted that his tenure coincided with significant transitions within ECOWAS and efforts to strengthen coordination between regional and continental institutions.^[4]